


Kinescope Parlor

by Beth Harker (Beth_Harker)



Category: Newsies (1992)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 07:25:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17219522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beth_Harker/pseuds/Beth%20Harker
Summary: There’s a lot to be learned from the moving pictures.





	Kinescope Parlor

“We gotta hurry up and edify our brains, Mush,” Blink announced, from across a rather sparse dinner table. Blink didn’t meet Mush’s eyes as he spoke, and it was hard to tell if it was because he was busy trying to get every last bit of gristle off of the soup bone that he was chewing, or if it was because something was bothering him.

“Who’s saying our brains is wrong, huh Kid? You want me to give ‘em a piece of my mind?” It wasn’t that Mush liked resorting to violence, but if somebody had the nerve to walk around insulting Blink, then Mush supposed he could maybe shove them around just a little.

“That ain’t what I mean. Our brains is fine and dandy. We just gotta hurry up and fill them full of knowledge. Racetrack said he was wiser than me and you. Can you believe that?!”

Mush could believe it. He’d been there when Race had said it, right at Blink’s side, just like every morning. Racetrack had been telling Mush to stop doing backflips off of barrels before he broke his neck. Mush had considered it. Blink had snapped back for Racetrack to go soak his head. It hadn’t seemed all that big of a deal at the time; it was just Blink being Blink, after all.

“Race said he was older and wiser,” Mush tried to explain, after a moment of consideration. “That ain’t the same as saying he’s really wiser, or even smarter for that matter. He’s got a few years on us is all.”

“Yeah?” Blink leaned back in his chair. “Don’t you think we at least better try and catch up to him?”

“Sure, but age don’t work like that. If you start out behind, then you’re always behind.”

Blink all but leapt to his feet, without even bothering to pick up his chair as it went tumbling onto the ground. He put both of his hands on Mush’s shoulders from behind. “This ain’t about age. It’s about knowledge. That’s why we gotta go to the kinescope parlor, you and me. We’d be chumps not to. They’s wonders of science, is those machines, and I bet you anything we can learn whatever we want from watching a few flicks on 'em. I’ll tell you what Mush, we never do that kinda stuff, and it’s a crime.”

Blink spoke like a true visionary, gesturing off into the distance in the same way that Jack sometimes did when he was describing the sky in Santa Fe. Mush almost wanted to clap and cheer him on, but instead he settled on standing up beside him, and clasping his arm.

“You know what, Kid? We do enough work to deserve a visit to the kinescope parlor. We better go right now, before they close.”

“Right! You read my mind, Mush. That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

——–

Blink chose an uptown kinescope parlor, a nice one. There were velvet rugs on the floor, and even the carpet of dirt and cigarette butts that coated the fabric couldn’t hide how rich the place was. More importantly than that, there were twelve different kinescope machines, each one beckoning Blink, with promises of the wonders held within.

Kinescopes were great, because Thomas Edison himself handcrafted each and every one of them, which meant the viewer could watch them with the assurance that they were watching the works of a genius. Better than that, each if the films were a just two cents a pop. You could put your coins in the machines, crank the lever, and learn about topics ranging from the electrocution of elephants, to sports, to all the glorious things that went on in a lady’s private rooms when she was undressing for bed.

Mush decided to watch a twelve second scene of birds flying over the beach. He watched it three times before moving on to anything else. Mush’s smile as he peeped into his kinescope was almost as fun to watch as anything else the parlor had to offer. For Blink’s part, he went from one Kinescope machine to the next, watching sporting events and curiosities through the peepholes, and if he watched twice as many films as most would consider reasonable, he told himself that it was his God given right, because only he had half as many eyes.

With all the excitement of being surrounded by a sea of moving pictures for purchase, it took Blink a long while to remember that it was meant to be educational. When at last he did, he ran up to Mush and threw an arm around his shoulder.

“Hey,” he said. “I just learned a bunch about what goes on backstage at vaudeville shows.” He winked here, to make sure that Mush knew he was being suggestive. “Might have to ask Medda to tell us some stories about all that, if you know what I mean.”

“She’ll laugh and tell us stories 'bout her dog.”

“Not if I talk to her real smooth like…”

Mush laughed and shoved Blink off of him, so Blink shoved Mush back. The scuffle would have gone on longer, and been a great deal more fun, if the man who was in charge of the parlor hadn’t given them a stern look.

“I learned that we'se lucky that we get to go in here, the two of us,” said Mush.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Met a kid, 'round our age, with real nice clothes and everything. He asked if he could bum two cents off me, so I gave it over, but then his ma stormed in and pulled him out of here by his ear, talkin’ about how she’s sick and tired of him spending his cash in places like this, even though it wasn’t his cash that he was spending…”

“I hope she gave you back your money,” said Blink, more concerned about Mush’s loss than some rich freeloader’s ear.

“Nah,” said Mush. “But it’s okay. I stopped watching flicks after the first one with the bird, so I got more pennies than you. Just been talking to folks since then.”

Blink touched his own pocket, a bit sheepishly. It was much lighter than it’d been when he’d first came in, and it was the sort of lightness that could set a respectable newsie back for a good month. “Guess you didn’t need to watch as many films as I did, 'cause you’re already smarter,” Blink said. “'That’s how come you thought of saving your money, and I didn’t.”


End file.
